New U 16 League for Non BDA players

[Unregistered]

new U16 boys league for next year's 2003 players who don't make a DA club's U17 (2002/2003) DA team

East Brunswick, NJ (May 23, 2018) —As a result of interest from several boys U.S. Soccer Development Academy clubs within the East Conference, 18 boys DA clubs in the US Youth Soccer East Region have gotten together to form the 16U US Youth Soccer National League Atlantic Development Player EDP Conference. This conference will give these clubs a chance to participate in a competition with parallel scheduling to the DA that will culminate with a playoff and a chance to participate in the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series.

The following U.S. Soccer Development Academy clubs have committed to playing in this conference for 2018-19:

Arlington Soccer Association (VA)
Baltimore Armour (MD)
Beachside Soccer Club (CT)
Bethesda Soccer Club (MD)
BW Gottschee (NYE)
Cedar Stars Academy - Bergen (NJ)
Cedar Stars Academy - Monmouth (NJ)
DC United Academy (MD)
FC Westchester (NYE)
Loudoun Soccer Club (VA)
Metropolitan Oval Academy (NYE)
New York Soccer Club (NYE)
Oakwood SC (CT)
PA Classics (PAE)
Philadelphia Union (PAE)
Richmond United (VA)
Seacoast United (NH)
Virginia Development Academy (VA)

The 16U US Youth Soccer National League Atlantic Development Player EDP Conference -- for players born in 2003 -- will be part of the US Youth Soccer National Leagues program, which is launching nationwide in the 2018-19 soccer season. Teams in this conference will now have the opportunity to advance within the National Championship Series through league play.

The 16U Boys team that wins the 2018-19 league season will advance to a playoff against other top tier champions of fellow National League EDP Conferences. The winner of this playoff will advance to participate in the Eastern Regional Championships and have the opportunity to win their way to the prestigious US Youth Soccer National Championships.

In addition to Atlantic Development Player EDP Conference play, as an added value to participation in the conferences of the US Youth Soccer National Leagues program, participating teams/clubs will be invited to compete in US Youth Soccer Showcase events that are to be scheduled in 2018-19 and beyond.

“This is a terrific opportunity for many of our 2003 players who won’t be making the jump to the 17U DA age group for the 2018-19 season, but will be able to continue to play in this ‘gap year’ against virtually all the Development Academy clubs in the East Region,” said George Gjokaj, Director of Soccer Operations for FC Westchester.

“Oakwood SC is looking forward to the competition in US Youth Soccer National League Atlantic Development Player EDP Conference this fall,” said Rick Derella, Director of Coaching for Oakwood SC. “We’re excited for our teams to play in an environment that will mirror the game model found in the current U.S. Soccer Development Academy.”

[Unregistered]

They did the same thing for girls U16. It's a way to hold onto players who can't make the U16/17 teams. But the teams would have to be back filled with other players from elsewhere (assuming about half don't make it onto the other team). Why would you join that team, spend all that time and money, if you don't stand a good chance of making the U17 team the next year? May as well do something at a local quality EDP or NPL club.

At least with the boys group it's much bigger and travel not quite as bad as the girls side, but you're still humping down to MD and VA to play other B teams.

[Unregistered]

They did the same thing for girls U16. It's a way to hold onto players who can't make the U16/17 teams. But the teams would have to be back filled with other players from elsewhere (assuming about half don't make it onto the other team). Why would you join that team, spend all that time and money, if you don't stand a good chance of making the U17 team the next year? May as well do something at a local quality EDP or NPL club.

At least with the boys group it's much bigger and travel not quite as bad as the girls side, but you're still humping down to MD and VA to play other B teams.

Yes modeled after the girls program and the pre Academy BDA league previously. Pre Academy made you skip high school. I am not sure whether this one will or not

It will be interesting to see whether BS can get enough 2003s to fill out two teams Also what's to stop them from using their bench players in this league

Some people cant let the dream die

[Unregistered]

Yes modeled after the girls program and the pre Academy BDA league previously. Pre Academy made you skip high school. I am not sure whether this one will or not

It will be interesting to see whether BS can get enough 2003s to fill out two teams Also what's to stop them from using their bench players in this league

Some people cant let the dream die

Since it's DA (with their obvious disdain for HS soccer) and the announcement says it starts in the fall, its almost certain to forbid HS. May as well play HS and decent club and take your chances making the team as a U17, or at least try to join once HS is over (which BS added several HS players this year once HS was done).

[Unregistered]

Since it's DA (with their obvious disdain for HS soccer) and the announcement says it starts in the fall, its almost certain to forbid HS. May as well play HS and decent club and take your chances making the team as a U17, or at least try to join once HS is over (which BS added several HS players this year once HS was done).

This is a league for parents that are deathly afraid of their kid not being a varsity starter as a Sophomore.

[Unregistered]

Since it's DA (with their obvious disdain for HS soccer) and the announcement says it starts in the fall, its almost certain to forbid HS. May as well play HS and decent club and take your chances making the team as a U17, or at least try to join once HS is over (which BS added several HS players this year once HS was done).

Yes, skipping HS and paying a boatload of cash for low level EDP ... awesome .... all of the top 16s will be on the 16/17 team, so this is truly a B league.

[Unregistered]

Yes, skipping HS and paying a boatload of cash for low level EDP ... awesome .... all of the top 16s will be on the 16/17 team, so this is truly a B league.

Relax, not every kid is an A level player. It’s another option for kids with likely solid competition.

[Unregistered]

Isn't this simply a rebranding of the already existing "pre academy"?

[Unregistered]

Isn't this simply a rebranding of the already existing "pre academy"?

It’s certainly similar but more clubs and different sanctioning

I believe that the NEPAL, the pre Academy league is US Club

Here are the NEPAL current teams

Academy League was formed in 2009 and currently includes a 16-U boys division.

Twelve clubs from seven states participate in the league:

Baltimore Armour (Md.)
Beachside SC (Conn.)
Bethesda SC (Md.)
Everton FC Westchester (N.Y.)
Met Oval (N.Y.)
New York Cosmos (N.Y.)
Oakwood SC (Conn.)
PA Classics (Pa.)
PDA (N.J.)
Richmond United (Va.)
Seacoast United (N.H.)
Virginia Development Academy (Va.)

[Unregistered]

Relax, not every kid is an A level player. It’s another option for kids with likely solid competition.

But they are in academy clubs, they have to be A players! Why make them give up HS if they are not USNT material? Oh yeah, for checks .... no different than FSA or CFC.

[Unregistered]

Isn't this simply a rebranding of the already existing "pre academy"?

Not really. Pre-academy was on a club-to-club basis and teams would play in whatever league they could (eg BS played in EDP here against other EDP teams). This is now DA clubs in a specially created EDP bracket just for one age group.

But the rest - it being a sham and a money maker for clubs, getting kids to think they might make the U17 squad the next year? Totally the same. Much more travel too. The EDP bracket BS had before was just CT/NY/NJ. Now its's up and down the seaboard into VA.

[Unregistered]

Not really. Pre-academy was on a club-to-club basis and teams would play in whatever league they could (eg BS played in EDP here against other EDP teams). This is now DA clubs in a specially created EDP bracket just for one age group.

But the rest - it being a sham and a money maker for clubs, getting kids to think they might make the U17 squad the next year? Totally the same. Much more travel too. The EDP bracket BS had before was just CT/NY/NJ. Now its's up and down the seaboard into VA.

Not true. There was an actual pre academy NPL league called northeast pre academy league (Nepal). When it started there were multiple age groups but it was just 16 in its last iteration The clubs were listed previously